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Freedom of the press facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Reporters Without Borders 2007 Press Freedom Rankings Map
Freedom of the press around the world according to Reporters Without Borders

Freedom of the press is a promise by a government not to punish journalists (and other people who report the news) for doing their job. It is an idea like freedom of speech: it lets people express their opinions or beliefs. Many countries have laws or constitutional amendments protecting freedom of the press. The word "press" in the phrase comes from the printing press.

Restrictions

Like with freedom of speech, freedom of the press does not protect everything that a journalist writes. A journalist can be sued for libel, which is publishing false and damaging claims about a person. Publishing copyrighted material is not legal in many countries. Writing about state secrets, like military plans, weapon designs, or other classified information is almost always illegal.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Libertad de prensa para niños

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